Reuben Awards weekend 2014 wrap up

This year’s Reubens Award Weekend was held in the spectacular San Diego California. It was only my third NCS weekend, so I’m not the best barometer for attendance. Apart from live-tweeting the winners on Saturday night, I’ll admit, I put aside my the “reporter duties” and just enjoyed the event. My photos are slimmer than years past, but they should narrate a bit of the experience. I’ll link up to other cartoonists’s blogs as they post their photos.

Most of the events happened at the Omni hotel in the heart of the Gaslight District in downtown San Diego. The Omni hotel was right next to Petco Park where the San Diego Padres play. The Gaslight District had amazing food.

Weird Al Yankovich was in attendance to accept the ACE Award (Amateur Cartoonist Extraordinaire). Here he is with awestruck Off the Mark creator Mark Parisi before the show.

Before the show, Mark, who was nominated as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year as well as in the Newspaper Strip Division Award, practices his outrage should his name not be called in either category.

Weird Al accepts the ACE award.

Stephan Pastis, nominated for the Reuben Award for the sixth time, checks off the division awards given out leading up to the Reuben Award announcement. Being nominated for six times seems like a lot. Garry Trudeau is often cited as having been nominated many more times before finally getting to take one home, but that’s probably not much consolation. That said, I doubt Garry would use lipstick to check off the division awards in the program. Who’s lipstick was that, Stephan?

Serio Aragones with Russ Heath who was received the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award

Weird Al poses with a poster.

I’d like to think I was the only one who got a photo with the Grammy Award (and now ACE Award) winner Weird Al Yankovich, but really, we all did. Every. single. one. of. us. He was gracious to pose for so many photos and sign autographs.

Wiley Miller offers a touching acceptance speech honoring his mother who consistently supported his cartooning aspirations when others tried to route him into proper careers.

Cathy Guisewhite in the background watches as Mark and Stephan duke it out after the awards.

Tom Stemmle and I unloose our bow-ties because A) it’s late and B) loose bow-ties show off we didn’t do clip-ons.

Mark Pett, Master of Ceremonies Tom Gammill and I take in late night cigars. Tom certainly deserved it after another hilarious opening act and comedy bits throughout the show.

The NCS weekend closed out aboard the USS Midway on Sunday evening. The afternoon before, cartoonists drew for troops and tourists here. Great venue and so proper for Memorial Day Weekend.

Pulitzer Prize winning (and this year’s winner in the Editorial Cartooning division) Michael Ramirez led his band in classic cover songs. Could not ask for a better night and location* to close out the weekend.

*The open bar AFTER the USS Midway was also a nice send-off. Not sure who picked up the tab for that, but thank you!

Alan! Thanks for including me in the pics! It WAS a fun and special weekend. It’s always great being in your company. It’s also great knowing that we could show everyone that we really know how to “tie one on!” ‘Til next year in D.C.!

Thanks to all for making it such a great weekend. I loved the theme song “It’s not gonna be a long show”, I was amazed by how normal Weird Al Yankovich seemed, had some time to hang out with my California sisters and fellow Six Chix, Benita Epstein, got a chance to say thanks to some Navy veterans and I was really honored to be recognized by my peers.

Yeah, I wouldn’t crash any party of someone with a Batman costume who could bench-press ME. ;) You were a gracious host and it was a kick ass Reubens. I heard that from everyone…and the Midway party was a great way to end it here in San Diego. Bravo, El Presidente.